Best Wireless Earbuds and Headphones for Samsung Phones

If you can't afford the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the standard Galaxy Buds 2 are a good option. Released in 2021, they don't sound as good as the newer Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or have quite as effective noise canceling. They do offer decent sound and noise canceling along with very good voice-calling performance, and they often are discounted to around $100.

The Buds 2, like the earlier Buds Plus, is only IPX2 sweat-resistant. That means they should be fine for lighter workouts, but it's probably best to avoid wearing them in a rainstorm. 

Over the years, JBL has put out some decent true-wireless earbuds, but nothing that really got me too excited. That's finally changed with the arrival of the Samsung-owned brand's new  and  buds. Both sets of buds -- the Live Pro 2 has stems while the Live Free 2 has a pill-shaped design -- offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise canceling, very good sound quality and voice-calling performance. They also have a robust set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IPX5 splash-proof rating and wireless charging.

The Live Pro 2 and Live Free 2 are equipped with the same 11mm drivers, six microphones, oval tubes and oval silicon tips. Aside from the design, the biggest difference between the two is battery life: The stemless Live Free 2 is rated for up to seven hours, while the Live Pro 2 is rated for 10 hours. The Live Pro 2 is available in four color options.

Sennheiser's previous-generation Momentum Wireless headphones have always had a pretty distinct look that was part retro, part modern, and stood out for the exposed metal on the headband. For better or worse, that's all gone now, and the new Momentum 4 Wireless, Sennheiser's flagship noise-canceling headphones, look a bit more subdued and also a bit more like some of their competitors.

The Momentum 4 Wireless outperforms the Momentum 3 Wireless in every regard. The biggest gains are with noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well as battery life, which is outstanding -- up to 60 hours at moderate volume levels. There's also a transparency mode that allows ambient sound, and users can create a custom sound profile in the Smart Control app for iOS and Android using the built-in EQ, sound modes and a new Sound Personalization feature that "assesses the user's listening preferences and adjusts the listening experience according to their taste." 

Sennheiser says the Momentum 4 Wireless, equipped with 42mm drivers, offers "best-in-class" sound, which is debatable. I'd say the sound quality is right there with other models in this price range. They sound excellent, with the requisite well-defined, punchy bass, wide soundstage (they sound pretty open) and smooth treble that brings out some of the finer details in well-recorded tracks. They're a pleasure to listen to.

The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people consider one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones -- if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, and the buttons are in the same place.

There are small but notable changes. First, we're pleased that these have a USB-C charging port instead of Micro-USB. Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted, but there's now an additional external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six mics, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)

These headphones are excellent for making calls. They're similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our full review of the QuietComfort 45.

Featuring excellent sound, improved noise canceling and voice-calling, and a smaller, more refined design, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 was among the best new true-wireless earbuds of 2022. They're also one of the best true-wireless earbuds overall, giving the Sony WF-1000XM4 a run for the money. They include stabilizing fins so the earbuds stay in your ears more securely.